Heinkel He 111: The Latter Years

The Blitz and War in the East to the Fall of Germany

Chris Goss

• Publisher: Frontline Books
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781848324459
• eBook ISBN: 9781848324473
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Military & Maritime History
• Index: History

The Heinkel He 111 was the main workhorse of the Luftwaffes bomber force throughout much of the Second World War. Consequently, when Hitler launched Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, three entire Kampfgeschwader consisted of He 111s. Initially used as direct support for the German ground forces, as the campaign progressed the He 111 was switched to attacking the Soviet infrastructure, particularly trains and marshaling yards, and used as a transport aircraft taking in supplies and for troop evacuation. Variants of the He 111 were used in anti-shipping roles, in both the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and even for aerial launching of V-1 flying bombs, continuing the war against the towns and cities of the United Kingdom. In this selection of unrivaled images collected over many years, and now part of Frontline's new War in the Air series, the operations of this famous aircraft in the latter years of the Second World War are portrayed and brought to life. A companion title to Heinkel He 111: The Early Years.

BOMBERS OVER THE UNITED KINGDOM, 1941

Groundcrew applying black distemper to a He 111 of an unidentified unit, in the winter of 1940-41. Note that even the 500kg bomb has been painted black.

As a defence against night fighters, some He 111s were fitted with fixed rearwards firing MG 17 machine-guns. The two He 111 H-6s shown in this photograph are apparently from KG 53.

The night of 10-11 May 1941 saw the last major attack of the Blitz against London. One of the casualties was this He 111 H-5, werk nummer 3823 of 3./KG 4 which was probably attacked by ex-Battle of Britain veteran, Pilot Officer Fred Burnard of 85 Squadron, off Bradwell Bay. The German pilot, Oberstleutnant Fritz Bredemeier, reported that the port engine was hit, and they were forced to drop their bombs on Clacton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze, and then turn for home. On the way back, the port engine began to smoke and shake violently, so was shut down. The He 111 then force-landed on the beach at Ostend. Bredemeier was later reported wounded over the Soviet Union and awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold in April 1942, while still flying with I./KG 4.

He 111 Hs of an unidentified unit over northern France in 1941.

RN+GW was a He 111 H-5 which was operated by the Erprobungsstelle Rechlin. The two aerials on the fuselage show it was fitted with Y Verfahren and it was recorded as flying with KGr 100 in late 1940 for testing. III/KG 26 would then operate aircraft fitted with Y Verfahren. RN+GW was still in existence with III/Kampfbeobachterschule 1 in June 1943.

Major Viktor von Lossberg, Gruppen Kommandeur of III/KG 26 poses in front of his He 111 H, Le Bourget, in early 1941. The spinner colours would be green.

A He 111 of 2/KGr 100 photographed at Vannes. It would appear that the code for this aircraft is 6N+FK. A He 111 H-3 werk nummer 5652 and coded 6N+FK was shot down by a Beaufighter of 219 Squadron and crashed at Guestling in Sussex whilst attacking Chatham on 14 June 1941. The crew were all captured – Oberfeldwebel Paul Wierbitzki (pilot), Leutnant Hilmar Schmidt (Beobachter), Feldwebel Kurt Braun (Bordmechaniker) and Unteroffizier Herbert Schick (Bordfunker).

A photograph of He 111 H-1, werk nummer 5101 coded 6N+CH of 1/KGr 100. Flown by Oberfeldwebel Paul Wierbitzki, it suffered engine failure on 20 February 1941 and crash-landed at Lüneberg. It suffered engine failure again on 10 August 1941 at Schwabisch Hall suffering 50 per cent damage. By this date, the experienced Wierbitzki crew had been shot down during an attack on Chatham on 14 June 1941 and all taken prisoner.

A photograph of He 111 H of III/KG 26 being refuelled. Note the Y Verfahren aerial behind the cockpit.

The large aerial at the front of the aircraft shown in this photograph would indicate that this is a Y Gerät-equipped aircraft from III./KG 26. The date of the crash is stated as being January 1941 which would indicate this as being He 111 H-5 werk nummer 3614, which was one of three He 111s from III./KG 26 which took off between 19.57 and 20.34 hours on 2 January 1941 to attack Cardiff, each laden with a single SC 1000 bomb and 144 incendiaries. This aircraft landed at Le Havre with no casualties to the crew and minimal damage.

A He 111 H of Stab III/KG 26, in early 1941. Note the Y Verfahren aerial just behind the cockpit and the 1000kg bomb.

Closer examination of this photograph reveals that the aircraft is from KGr 100 (three aerials on the fuselag...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• CONTENTS
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Glossary
• Bombers Over the United Kingdom, 1941
• Russia and the Mediterranean, 1941
• In Action 1942-1943
• In Action 1944-1945
• Heinkel He 111 In Colour